The present invention relates to a bottom bag closure that may be used in a reusable leakproof bag.
Recycling is now a way of life for most people. Not only are people accustomed to separating their own garbage at home, but they will do so in public places if recycling receptacles are available. This is particularly true of cans and bottles in public areas such as parks, schools, beaches, and restaurants.
Ironically, most recycling receptacles are lined with single use, non-recyclable bags. Once the receptacle is full, the single use bag full of recyclables is put in a larger "bin" receptacle or set out to be picked up by sanitation engineers. Eventually, the single use bag full of recyclables is sent to a recycling center where the contents are recycled. However, the single use bags are typically thrown away. Because people do not want to touch the dirty (and possibly contaminated) contents of the bag, single use bags remain popular.
Bags that have openings at the bottom can be emptied into larger receptacles without contaminating the mouth of the bag. U.S. Pat. No. 3,827,471 to Gregory et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 3,893,595 to Khanna et al. show bags with bottom openings. However, these bags are complicated to use, expensive to produce, and would be unsuitable to handle the residual liquid that is usually present in discarded bottles and cans.
Fruit picking bags such as those shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,532,146, U.S. Pat. No. 4,925,071, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,201,446 show bottom bag closures that use at least two side connectors to maintain a fold that forms the bottom of the fruit picking bag. Bags such as those shown in U.S. Pat. No. 1,137,303, U.S. Pat. No. 1,754,100, U.S. Pat. No. 2,421,962, U.S. Pat. No. 2,596,974, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,299,605 show bottom bag closures that have a clip positioned centrally on the back of the bag and a corresponding clip centrally located on the bottom edge of the bag that, when fastened, maintain a fold that forms the bottom of the bag. Several of these bags require multiple seams, each of which requires extra labor to sew and must be taped or otherwise sealed to prevent leakage. Some of these bags also require large folds that use substantial amounts of extra fabric, require extra flaps, or require extra suspenders that support the fold from the sides. Extra fabric, folds, or flaps can prevent fluids from discharging completing, and clearly, and prevent easy cleaning.
What is needed, then, is a reusable bag with a bottom bag closure that is simple to produce, simple to use, easily cleaned after use, and can accommodate residual liquids without leaking.